Autistic child's instructor named Teacher of the Year

Rookie Teacher of the Year is from Crookshank Elementary

A fourth-year teacher with one student in her class was named Teacher of the Year at the annual St. Johns County Teacher of the Year and Rookie Teacher of the Year Celebration on Thursday.

Jessica Geronimo “places an emphasis on real-world application that is thoughtful and relevant for her students,” said Superintendent Joe Joyner at the celebration put on by the St. Johns County Education Foundation. Outstanding teachers from throughout the county were honored at the event at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village.

Geronimo is the autism spectrum disorder teacher at the Gaines Alternative & Transition Schools at the Evelyn B. Hamblen Center.

Janeen Herskovitz, whose son is in Geronimo’s middle school class, has called her “a precious jewel” within the Exceptional Student Education community. “Her belief in our son and his ability to connect with the way he learns has been the key that has unlocked his world … and ours as well,” Herskovitz said.

Geronimo has served as a big sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization and has been a volunteer and a member of Special Olympics, both in New Jersey and in Florida. She’s also a volunteer for the Center of Autism and Related Diseases.

Teachers at each school in the district select a Teacher of the Year from their faculty. Four finalists are then selected and interviewed and the winner is chosen. Other finalists this year in addition to Geronimo were Rob Hall, fourth grade teacher at The Webster School; Julie Pantano, seventh grade gifted/advanced language arts teacher at Switzerland Point Middle School; and Kathryn Kehoe, science and biotechnology teacher at Ponte Vedra High School.

Selected as Rookie Teacher of the Year was Kelly Thigpen of John A. Crookshank Elementary. A graduate of Flagler College, she was the first person in her family to graduate from college. A first grade teacher, she began with the district as an associate teacher in the third grade at Crookshank and was later hired as a teacher for first grade.

Active in the youth ministry at Anastasia Baptist Church, she’s a Young Life leader at St. Augustine High School and started the Good News Club at Crookshank. She volunteers for a variety of organizations, including the Homeless Coalition and St. Francis House.

The annual awards program recognizes excellence in the teaching profession.

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